Rotary ground contacting weed chopper



Aug.

M. G. DENTQN ROTARY GROUND CONTACTING WEED CHOPPER Original Filed Feb. 21, 1946 /6 /f 27a Afarz'aia.lsvaz?ar0,

BY A ORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1954 ROTARY GROUND CONTACTING WEED CHOPPER Marion G. Denton, Auburndale, Fla.

Original application February 21, 1946, Serial No. 649,309, now Patent No. 2,574,468, dated November 13, 1951.

Divided and this application October 15, 1951, Serial No. 251,340

2 Claims.

This application is a division of application Serial N 0. 649,309, for stalk cutters filed February 21, 1946, now Patent Number 2,574,468.

This invention relates to ground-working machinery of the type known as stalk, weed, and brush cutters, and particularly of the kind in which there is provided at least two rolling members which are provided with axles and carry a set of cutter blades angularly spaced from the axle and mounted angularly spaced thereabout, with their flat faces approximately radially disposed and with their edges extending approximately parallel with the axle. Such rolling members may be in the form of cylindrical drums having closed ends which are adaptedto be filled with water to 1 provide-the weight required, the axle extending through the centers of the end closures and the, blades being arranged on the I outer surface of the drum cylinders.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel arrangement or construction of frame means for maintaining the drums or rolling members with their axes at an angle to each other, the frame means being rigid, so that the weight of both rolling members can be brought to bear for crushing and destroying especially resistant objects.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example, an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Figure 2 is'an enlarged vertical sectional view on line II- II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line III-III of Figure 1, illustrating a detail of the connection at one .end between parts of the frame.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line IV-IV of Figure 3.

In the drawings numerals l, and 2 refer to rolling members in the form of drums composed of cylindrical members la and 2a respectively and the ends of the cylindrical members are closed by ends lb and lo, and 2b and 2c respectively and the said ends are secured to the drums in any desired manner having blades 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e, 3 3g, 32', mounted on their outer surfaces in angularly spaced relationship relative to each other around the circumferences of the drums. These blades extend longitudinally parallel to the axles 4, 4a of the respective drums, and have their flat faces arranged radially. The axles 4, 4a, extend axially at the axes of their respective drums and extend through the ends of the drums and are secured to said end by any suitable means, as by welding, illustrated by way of example at 4b and 4c. The blades are secured on the drum by brackets 6 to which they are bolted. Thebrackets 6 are bolted by bolts 6a to pairs of hoops or bands 7, 7a which are welded to the outer surfaces of the drums, as indicated at lb, and extend toward each other from the opposite edges of grooves 8 which extend circumferentially around the drums. The bolt heads 9 are of T- shape and are arranged crosswise of a slot l0 between the hoops or bands extending over the grooves.

The drums are mounted in a rigid frame in the form of two rectangular parts H and I2 formed for example of channel beams and joined together by a rigid connection in' the form of a rigid bar [4 which is fixedly secured at its ends to rectangular parts II and [2, the ends of the rigid bar being bent to conform to the direction of extent of the respective frame parts to which they are attached by any suitable means. The bar [4 is located at the ends Ila, In of the rectangular parts where they are farther apart than at the other ends. The other ends lib and l2b of the rectangular parts of the frame are connected by another connecting member [5 which holds the rectangular parts closer together than at the other ends. The connection means [5 is shown in enlarged Figures 3 and 4 in more detail. The connection means comprises a bolt I 6 which extends through the flanges of channel I1 which may constitute part of the rectangular frame part II of the forward drum. A sleeve IE is disposed on the bolt l6 and one end of a second bolt I9 is welded to sleeve l8 at 23 and extends right angularly thereto. Due to the fact that bolt It extends through the flanges of channel ll, bolts l6 and I9 are prevented from performing any vertical swinging motion relative to the frame part II of the forward unit. This bolt it passes through an opening in channel member 23 of the frame part [2 and positioned on this bolt between the two frame parts is one or more spacing sleeve elements 2|, Zla. The channel member 26 of the frame part of the after drum unit I2 is drawn against the ends of the spacing sleeves by a nut 22.

The roller members or drums are rotatably mounted symmetrically in the rectangular parts of the frame bymeans of their respective axles 4 and bearings 25 secured to the channel beams, and hence the axes of the drums are arranged at an angle to one another. The frame constitutes means by which the drums can be drawn over the ground with their axes at angles to one another whereby the blades are caused to perform a chopping and slicing action on the ground and vegetative matter to be broken and cut. One end of the frame means is preferably provided with means 26 for attachment to a draft means, for example, a tractor.

I claim:

1. A weed chopper comprising a pair of rotatabl members mounted to turn about substantially horizontal axes, said axes being at an angle to one another, a rigid mounting and draft 4 frame connected to said members and having bearings therefor; and cutting blades proJecting from said rotatable members substantiauy in axial planes of the respective member.

2. A weed chopper as in claim 1, in which the rotatable members are cylindrical drums, closing ends secured in said drums, and shafts in th drums and secured to said ends, said shafts extending beyond said ends and mounted in said 10 bearings.

No references cited. 

